Leadership communications and speechwriting
My next set is going to be at China Cloud Studio on Wednesday, September 24 at 9 pm, and I’d be thrilled to see you there! It’s part of the showcase from my latest comedy class with Blind Tiger Comedy. You can buy your tickets here; they tend to sell pretty quickly, so be sure to book soon if […] The post Catch me on stage at China Cloud Studio on Sept. 24! appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
I’ve never actually physically grabbed a speaker. But I’ve been tempted. Not because I disagreed with them and wanted them off the stage. The exact opposite, actually: I wanted to keep them from leaving, at least for a few more seconds. Those moments come at the end of a speech that’s gone over well. The […] The post Leaving so soon? appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
The curse of knowledge takes work to overcome. But you don't just need your audience to know about your topic — you need them to care, too. The post Your audience doesn’t know what you know. You know? appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Crossing the U.S. border can now mean disappearing into a lawless, secretive detention system. Event organizers must face the implications. The post When does making people cross the U.S. border become an unconscionable risk? appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Most Canadians have taken it as read that Donald Trump’s raving about our country becoming the 51st state is just limited to him. We’ve assured each other that, apart from the fanboy retinue that echoes everything he says, the vast majority of Americans support Canadian sovereignty. When push came to shove, we tell ourselves — […] The post We’re not here to be your electoral fantasy, America…
Off on a tangent in an interview or Q&A? Here's how you get back on track — quickly, honesty and graciously. The post Ep. 75. Getting back on track appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
If you want to make the most of your speech, you need to rehearse. And to make that rehearsal count, behold: The Ten Commandments of Rehearsal! The post Ep. 74 Why you need to rehearse — and how appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Let's kill off long, tedious speaker introductions once and for all — and start making them work better for you and your audience. The post Ep. 73 No more boring speaker introductions! appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Pick up a collection of speeches or quotations from history, and chances are most of those voices belong to men. But it turns out the oratory of the past was a lot more female than many of its curators would have us think. One woman in particular, Dana Rubin, is working to change our understanding of public speaking history — and the role women have played in shaping it. And she's my guest on this…
You've probably heard the expression "stay in your lane." And sometimes that's good advice — but right now, we're facing global emergencies on an unprecedented scale, and we need voices speaking out for truth, democracy, science and our very survival. If you have a platform, you can be one of those voices…even if you aren't an expert. Here's how to do it responsibly. The post Ep. 71 Get out of…
Tamsen Webster, author of Find Your Red Thread , joins me to talk about the five steps of an effective Red Thread — your key to moving your audience to take action and create change. The post Ep. 70 Find Your Red Thread with Tamsen Webster appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Over a year into online presentations as the norm, and some folks are still committing these seven deadly sins. Here's how to stop... and how to find redemption. The post Ep. 69 Seven deadly sins of online presentation (part two) appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Over a year into online presentations as the norm, and some folks are still committing these seven deadly sins. In part one of this two-episode series, we look at sins one through four. The post Ep. 68 Seven deadly sins of online presentations (part one) appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Not all plagiarism is deliberate. It can be surprisingly easy to steal someone else's words by accident. Here's how to keep that from happening to you — by making sure your words, really are your words. The post Ep. 67. Avoiding plagiarism: Are your words really your own? appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
So many leadership communications mistakes come down to one thing: not having a clear goal and a roadmap to get there. This episode looks at a high-profile communications failure: an op-ed that blew up in CEO's face, damaged the company's reputation and forced an embarrassing public about-face. Learn what went wrong... and how you can keep your communications on track. The post Ep. 66. Keep the…
Public speaking has changed a lot in the past year, since conference halls and auditoriums went dark and we traded stages and amplifiers for webcams and video. But those changes can help us be better speakers, when the time comes to return to the stage The post Ep. 65. What we’ve learned from a year of remote presentations appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Mispronouncing someone's name from the stage is a lot more than a minor screwup. Here's why speakers should never go to the mic without knowing how to pronounce every name they mention correctly — and why speechwriters should never let them do it. The post Ep. 64. I now pronounce you… correctly appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Last November, the BC Federation of Labour held its first-ever online convention. The response from our hundreds of delegates was overwhelmingly positive, and we learned plenty. I always keep my eyes peeled for things that make online speeches and presentations work well, and this convention was a chance to see them in action from behind […] The post Put the audience first. Keep it simple. And…
When you're speaking via video, you want to keep things short. Here's how to embrace short, even when you're scheduled to run long. The post Ep. 63. Less is more, and short is beautiful appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
If you're spending all day in Zoom meetings, then it's easy to think that speaking by video automatically means showing your head and shoulders... and nothing else. Let's talk about what you (and your audience) are missing by not letting the rest of your body get in on the act. (The bad news? You're gonna need to start wearing pants again.) The post Ep. 62. Zoom out! You’re more than just another…
Presenting remotely? You need to bring more energy to your speaking style when your audience is at home in front of their screens. Find out why... and how. The post 61. Go big AND go home: Why you need to amp up your online energy for work-at-home audiences appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
This time, we look at how the technology visionaries at Mozilla are making the pivot from face-to-face leadership communications to virtual channels. We're joined by Justin O'Kelly, Mozilla's senior executive communications manager. The post Ep. 60. The pivot: Mozilla adapts to communicating in the lockdown appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
If sharing really is caring, then the content you share needs to be content you really care about — and content your audience will care about too. The post Ep. 59. Leadership communication through curation appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
With so many face-to-face presentations being cancelled, a lot of speakers are looking at going virtual. Here's how to make up some of the emotional connection you may lose when you jump online. The post Ep. 58. Going virtual (and staying human) appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Your event was cancelled? Sorry to hear it. But the good news is that it doesn't have to mean the end of the road for your speech. The post Ep. 57. Making the best of a cancelled speech appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Getting leadership communications right is never more important than in the middle of a crisis. Here are seven key principles for effectively communicating when your audience needs you most. The post Ep. 56. Leadership communications in a crisis (part two) appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
This two-part episode looks at effective leadership communications in a crisis. Part one is all about planning now so you're ready when the storm hits... either with this crisis, or the next one. The post Ep. 55. Leadership communications in a crisis (part one) appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Sing-song delivery saps your speech's strength and breaks your connection to the audience. Here's how to recognize it... and how to stop. The post Ep. 54. It’s called public speaking. Not public singing. appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
if you’ve wondered how to become a professional speaker, here's an answer: The Successful Speaker by Grant Baldwin, co-written with Jeff Goins, The post The Successful Speaker: a new guide to launching a speaking career appeared first on Rob Cottingham .
Sooner or later you'll find yourself talking to a subject matter expert: somebody who's going to give some of their time and knowledge to make your speech or article better. Here's how to get the most out of their time and yours. The post Ep. 53. How to Talk to Experts appeared first on Rob Cottingham .